Page No 109:

Question D.1:

Have you read novels or short stories about life on other planets? What is this type of writing called?

Read the following extract from a letter received by someone on Earth from another planet.

Planet Aurigae II

Dear Pen Pal,

When I received your letter from the interstellar correspondence club, my first impulse was to ignore it. However, your description of Earth sounds exciting. I would like to live there for a while, and I have…

1. What does the letter suggest about its writer?

2. What do you think may happen between the writer and Pen Pal?

Answer:

This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, some sample solutions have been provided for your reference.

1. The letter, as it depicts, is plausibly written by a being living on a planet other than the Earth (the planet mentioned in the question, Planet Aurigae II) possibly from a parallel universe. S/he seems interested in visiting the Earth.

2. It is possible that the writer might visit planet Earth soon as s/he shows keen interest in doing so, in the letter. They may even become best of friends.

Page No 110:

Question D.2(1):

What does "a hydrocarbon form of life" mean?

Answer:

Hydrocarbon is a compound of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are the building blocks and the main reason for the existence of life on this planet.

Page No 110:

Question D.2(2):

What would a non-hydrocarbon form of life look like?

Answer:

A non-hydrocarbon form of life may possibly be like the one described by Skander in the letter. A being that could survive 250°C and call such a climate pleasant. As their body temperature is excessively high, they cannot hold paper without damaging them and use thin metal sheets to write on.

Answer:

Page No 110:

Question D.2(4):

Answer:

Skander is in prison possibly because of his experiments to communicate with parallel universes and that might be violation of the laws of his/her planet.

Page No 111:

Question D.3(1):

From the first two letters, what have we so far learned about Skander?

Answer:

Skander is a non-hydrocarbon being living on Planet Aurigae plausibly from one of the parallel universes. The average temperature on his planet is 250°C. The medium to write there is fine metal sheets and instead of ink they use acid-dipped tungsten. He is in Aurigae jail as charges were laid against him for performing some forbidden experiments on his body that were deemed dangerous to the public welfare. He has to serve a time of 30 more years in jail. He describes himself to be possibly shocking in appearance and is eager to visit planet Earth but is not able to due to plausible physical reasons. His lifespan is longer as their bodies are made of more enduring elements than those of human beings.

Page No 111:

Question D.3(2):

What have we learned about the Planet Aurigae II?

Answer:

As Skander speaks it seems that the people there are spiritually more enlightened and know how to bring their soul out of their physical form, as he suggests doing so to take a tour of the universe. Bodies of beings of Aurigae are made of a more enduring element that makes their mortality rate much higher. There is no doubt that these beings are spiritually much higher and are beyond human understanding of physical and metaphysical. They are technologically much advanced and have reached a plane which is a perfect blend of both. It is justified by the method he describes to take the impression (picture) of a physical form; it is a blend of technology and spirituality. What is surprising is that there the language for communication is same as in few of western countries on Earth and the global language of today, English.

Page No 111:

Question D.3(3):

Why do you think Skander started this correspondence with Pen Pal?

Answer:

Skander is a curious one, whose thirst for knowledge is much more as compared to any common being. He tried to experiment on himself without fearing the risks involved. Therefore, he is a daring person. Out of curiosity and insatiable hunger to know and understand he must have tried to reach out to beings on other planets. It is possible that he must have tried to reach out other parallel universes too.

Page No 111:

Question D.3(4):

What impression do you have of Skander?

Answer:

Skander is a being who thinks beyond and wants to know much more than what is understood commonly. Who dares, and goes ahead with his experiments by even disobeying laws, undertakes risks and cares little for mortal life to have a higher understanding for existence.

Page No 113:

Question D.6(1):

Why (D4) do you think Pen Pal showed Skander's photographic plate to a doctor at the hospital?

Answer:

Pen pal showed the photographic plate to a doctor possibly due to following reasons.

First, that he did it out of curiosity and to understand physical and chemical properties of the plate.

Second, he must have faced difficulty in using it, so he must have thought of taking help from a doctor.

Third, he must be afraid of using the plate due to the risk involved because of its chemical properties and the way of clicking a picture that one has to think “ready” to get one’s impression. And it is possible that he might have hurt himself while operating with it.

Page No 113:

Question D.6(2):

In all the last four letters, Skander is insistent that Pen Pal sends a photograph of himself. Why do you think Skander is so insistent?

Answer:

Skander is insistent as we know that he is a curious being and is eager to see how people on Earth look like and how different they are from beings of Aurigae. It is possible that he has had some interactions with beings of other parallel universes and wants to chalk out the difference and make an observation out of it for his research.

Page No 113:

Question D.6(3):

Why (D5) do you think Pen Pal's government warned him against continuing the correspondence?

Answer:

Pen Pal’s government warned him from corresponding with Skander due to the risks involved in such intimacy. Skander in not a human being and the government might be afraid of the formidable consequences that the foreign planet’s residents might be trapping humans for some experiment or so.

Page No 114:

Question D.7(1):

What exactly did Skander do?

Answer:

Skander trapped Pen Pal into his scheme very cunningly. He never made his intentions clear in the beginning for it was a possibility that Pen Pal would have backed out of the intended plan. He coaxed Pen Pal to forward his picture or impression on a specific chemical-metal plate and returned his to him in the similar manner. Then, only when the plan was set, Skander, through radioactive rays, exchanged their bodies, without Pen Pal’s consent.

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Question D.7(2):

Why did he do this?

Answer:

Skander appears to be highly adventurous and experimental. He has a wander lust for universes beyond reach. He holds little value for other lives and sentiments. His thirst for knowledge and experimentation had cost Pen Pal heavily as he had to leave his body against his wish.

Page No 114:

Question D.7(3):

Might this ever be really possible, at some stage in the future?

Answer:

With the researches and studies proving the existence of multiple parallel universes and with the advancement of technology it might be possible in some future but not too soon.

Page No 114:

Question D.7(4):

Would there be advantages and/ or disadvantages in doing so?

Answer:

There are two sides of every coin. Scientists are apprehensive of advancements like artificial intelligence and time machine as there are higher level risks involved with these. So shall be the case of travelling beyond universe.

Page No 114:

Question D.7(5):

Were there any clues in earlier letters that warned us of what Skander was planning to do?

Answer:

Skander never made his intentions clear in his previous letters fearing that it might scare the Pen Pal and he would turn down the proposition. So he made all the pre-arrangements without keeping them in Pen Pal’s knowledge and executed the whole scheme stealthily.

Page No 115:

Question D.8:

1. Who has written the letter? (Original Pen Pal? original Skander? "New Pen Pal")?

2. Which planet does he live on?

3. When Skander and Pen Pal exchanged bodies and personalities, each received certain benefits. Write words or phrases in the scales under their names, to indicate the advantages to each. Decide who profited most from the exchange.

(Copy and complete.)

4. Imagine that five years have passed since the last letter. Skander and Pen Pal are both still alive. Write another letter from Skander to Pen Pal, outlining what has happened in the intervening years. What is your present situation?

What are your thoughts? What are your plans for the immediate future?

Answer:

1. Original Pen Pal

2. Planet Aurigae II

3.

Skander

Pen Pal

Poor Skander who thought he had lured Pen Pal into a forced deal and will lead his wonderful human life and enjoy it for next thirty years actually got befooled and got trapped in a paralysed body, prone to heart attacks and with a short lifespan.

Pen Pal acted smart. When the government and scientists tested and told him the possibility, he put at stake whatever little he had, not much to lose. Now he enjoys the freedom in a new found body and once lonely now he is enjoying his life completely in a new found land.

4.

This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, a sample solution has been provided for your reference.

This is the letter written by the Original Skander residing on the earth since past 5 years:

Dear Pen Pal,

I am still on Earth, residing in your body. I have faced many ups and down sin the past five years. However, I am pleased to have such a wonderful happy family. Last year, I caught ‘cold’ (some kind of a disorder in the body which I couldn’t comprehend at first) when Meetu (your wife), took good care of me. I am sorry to say that although I was completely devoid of emotions when I was in Planet Aurigae, I guess, I have finally fallen for your wife. Office is great. I got promoted as a Manager last year. Next month, I am planning to exchange bodies with a pen pal of Mars, with whom I’ve been in touch with through mails, since last 2 weeks. Please kindly keep in touch till then.